Ejected deputy home affairs minister Daniel Kashikola has accepted President Hage Geingob’s decision to remove him from the portfolio. Kashikola’s void was
immediately filled by Swapo backbencher Lucia Witbooi. //Geingob also appointed Natalia Goagoses as deputy minister of Higher Education, Technology
and Innovation. Goagoses was deputy urban and rural minister until Tuesday.
“By virtue of the powers vested in the President by Article 32(6) of the Constitution of the Republic of Namibia, President Hage Geingob has relieved Honourable Daniel Kashikola of the duties of Deputy Minister of Home Affairs, Immigration, Safety and
Security (MHAISS) with immediate Effect,” reads the statement from the Presidency issued late Tuesday night. President Geingob thanked Kashikola for his services as deputy minister of home affairs and wished
him well in his future endeavours.
Accept
For the seasoned politician, there is no love lost.
Kashikola said he accepted Geingob’s decision to remove him in the same spirit he accepted his appointment back in
2015.
“Nothing is wrong. It is the President’s power to do so… Therefore, it is normal,” Kashikolo reacted to his ejection
yesterday. While talk in the public domain is that Kashikola’s purported abuse of alcohol or internal Swapo politics may have led to his demise, he denied any wrongdoing on his part. “I am not going to tolerate rumours from the public. I saw people circulating rumours on social media that I was relieved because I drink too much alcohol,” Kashikola dismissed.
He continued: “If people want to know why I am relieved from my duty they should contact the office of the President for
clarity.”
Kashikola said he will continue serving
the nation as an ordinary member of the National Assembly. “I appreciate the President for the position he entrusted me to hold for eight years,” Kashikola gracefully said. On Witbooi, Kashikola’s replacement, Geingob said: “Working alongside the minister, honourable Witbooi has been tasked with working towards improved and timely service delivery and strengthening national efforts towards improved security for citizens and visitors.”
Higher Education
“An educationist by training, honourable Goagoses has been tasked with
strengthening the work of government in the delivery of better services in the higher education sector, including the acceleration of national efforts towards the Fourth Industrial Revolution,” read the
statement.
At the urban ministry, lawmaker Eveline Nawases-Tayele was appointed as deputy minister. There, the Presidency said, she has been tasked with contributing towards an improved performance culture for better public service delivery in the
ministry.
When asked what would happen to Kashikola in the wake of his removal from ministerial role, Presidential spokesperson Alfredo Hengari said: “Nothing.”